Our expertise is in the use of electric fields to understand cells, to analyse them, and to concentrate and separate them (we also do this with smaller things like viruses, proteins, and DNA). Mostly, these electric fields are imposed using electrodes - in our case, the patented and now commercially-available 3DEP and Deparator systems, which we have used for electrophysiological measurement and cancer diagnosis, details of which can be found of the "Dielectrophoresis" page.
However, we are also increasingly interested in the role electric fields generated by the cells themselves, and the role of electrostatics in general cell function. This work has expanded to become a new model of cellular behaviour pointing towards new ways of understanding how cells interact with their environment, with other cells, and with nearby biomolecules. Work on which can be found on the "Electromics" page.
We work with other scientists (electrophysiologists, cell biologists, clinicians) as well as industrial partners to enable new technologies to aid medical science. More details can be found on the "commercialisation" page.
In 1792, Luigi Galvani published a book describing how, in his dissection experiments, he had found that electrically charged implements could spontaneously make frog's legs jump, despite the absence of the rest of the frog. He had observed a basic connection between electricity - as in, the movement and interaction of charges - and biology. The book was called "De viribus electricitatis in motu musculari commentarius", or "commentary on the electrical forces in muscle movement". It is from that book that we take our name.
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
― Carl Sagan, astrophysicist and author